Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, one of the presidential candidates leading the polls. Image: S.K. Vemmer, US Department of State.

Voters in Afghanistan went to the polls today to elect the country's next president.

Polls have reportedly only been marred by a small amount of violence while participation has been described as high by reporters. The government deployed more than 350,000 troops to protect voters from attacks on polling stations; security measures have included checkpoints on roads.

The election in Afghanistan follows the shooting this week of two Associated Press journalists by Afghan police: Anja Niedringhaus and Kathy Gannon. Also recently, on Tuesday British troops formally shut down their base in Helmand as part of a planned withdrawal process from the region.

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Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.